


Feel the Sun, Embrace the Day

by Corcalamus



Series: The Sun, Moon & Stars Series [1]
Category: Iron Man - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - Fandom
Genre: Falling In Love, M/M, building relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 18:45:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2478620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corcalamus/pseuds/Corcalamus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just sex, at least that's all it was ever supposed to be. Then again Loki was only meant to be using the Avengers and SHIELD for his own purposes all along, and yet his new best friend Coulson could see right through him.</p><p>A week in quarantine due to a nasty virus gives the team a well earned break, and Loki is forced to face some facts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel the Sun, Embrace the Day

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the Frostiron 2014 Mini/Big bang! What a pleasure to work on this year, thank you to Sherlokitten for the fantastic artwork - here: http://sherlokitten.tumblr.com/image/100395494442

Tony Stark had never considered himself to be a bottom. In fact, most men he'd been with it had been mutual hand jobs, blow jobs or most certainly it was _him_ doing the fucking. That had all changed though, not too long ago, with one tall lithe bastard with long dark hair.

“You need a good fuck, I know these things, Stark.” The words had been said in flirtatious jest at the time, Tony was sure of that, but apparently they were more true than he ever realised. If they hadn't been true, if the speaker hadn't had a point to make, Tony doubted he'd be flat on his back being fucked again by that very same tall lithe bastard for the, what? Tenth time?

“Tell me,” his partner's voice whispered in Tony's ear, “Tell me what you need.”

Tony resisted, tempted to beg but not quite desperate yet as he fisted his own cock, moving with his partner's thrusts. He was close but not quite there yet.

At his refusal to beg, hands gripped his wrists, wrenching his arms above his head as the man above him gave a long, slow torturous surge forward. “Tell me,” he whispered again, but the tone was much more demanding. Tony loved the shiver it sent up his spine.

“Fuck,” Tony swore as his partner moved again and as lips kissed a trail up the column of his throat he cracked.

“Fuck me harder,” Tony said.

“Why?”

Tony groaned, “Because I _need_ it.”

“Say my name,” the voice demanded.

“ _Loki,_ ” the name came forth as an entreaty, he hadn't meant it to sound quite so desperate but it was too late. “I want - need you... _please_.” 

That was the magic phrase apparently and for a while Tony couldn't think, could barely breathe as long clever fingers stroked and teased flesh that was normally hidden away by clothes.

Loki bit down on Tony's shoulder, the sharp pain enough to push Tony over. He came hard, legs wrapping around the god's slender hips as Loki continued to fuck him through the orgasm to a point of over sensitivity. Loki wasn't done, he never was with Tony's first orgasm. He knew Loki liked the way that he gripped the god's shoulders as he pushed him through the pleasure/pain barrier. He'd beg Loki to stop but he knew another orgasm would come.

And he knew Loki wouldn't stop, not unless he used their safe word, and Tony wasn't a safe word kind of guy.

There it was, he could feel a coil again, the pain melted away as Loki continued. His stamina was truly inspiring and Tony found himself having a dry orgasm, back arched as he cried out and finally, a moment later, Loki gave his own low groan as he came within Tony.

Loki collapsed to Tony's side, waving his hand to clean them off. The first time Loki did this, Tony cursed how handy it was to have magic to do the manual labour of cleaning. In his youth he'd fallen asleep before clean-up and it was always a sticky mess in the morning. Magical lube and magical cleaning spells were two perks to a booty call from the God of Mischief.

They silently curled up together and fell asleep. Tony knew the god would be gone by morning.

He always was.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Loki was exhausted as were the rest of the team. Over the past six months they had barely had a day's break before another disaster somewhere in the US threatened innocent lives and the Avengers and SHIELD mobilized to help them. Everyone was burned out, even Thor looked tired, not that Loki cared that _he_ looked tired. Thor could take it, but it was the look on Tony's face, Natasha's and even his sort of boss 'Phil' that made him think they could all do with some time off. A few days to regroup, deal properly with injuries and relax.

“What is on your mind brother?”

Thor's question cut through his thoughts and he gave him a withering glare, “Nothing you need concern yourself with.”

“You looked like you were plotting something... I just wondered if it was anything interesting.”

Thor's continuous attempts at talking to him were growing tiresome. He didn't understand why the oaf didn't just leave him alone when it was quite clear he had nothing he wished to say to him.

“Bro-”

“I am not your brother,” Loki snapped at him. “I wish that you would get that through your dense skull.”

Thor frowned and gave a small huff at him. “Not by blood, but here,” Thor tapped his chest over his own heart and Loki rolled his eyes.

“You really are a sentimental fool.” Loki's eyes went back to the book he had been reading. 

“Loki...”

“I am reading Thor, go away.” As the words left his mouth he regretted them, he was transported back several hundred years to when they were children. The book was snatched out of his hand and snapped closed.

“You're not reading _now_ ,” Thor said, looking down at him with a grin.

Loki contemplated his next move as conflicting impulses surged through him. On the one hand he could retaliate as he always did when they were children, but these days – unlike back then – they were on more even footing.

Or he could simply walk away and have no part in the foolish distraction.

He stood up and began to walk away, ignoring the part of him that ached to be Thor's brother. The weak part that wanted Thor to see him as who and what he was, instead of the weak younger sibling that would never be king.

“Oh, I see,” Thor said at Loki's retreating back, “little milk drinker can't get the book back so he walks away.”

Loki stilled, he remembered that insult too, it was supposed to get a rise from him, supposed to make him turn and fight.

“I never had you marked as a _coward_ , Loki.”

Thor's tone was still jovial, clearly still trying to get a reaction, but the word 'coward' cut him deeply. Coward was he? Was he a coward when Thanos had him bowing at his feet through fear and not loyalty? Was he a coward when he agreed to attack Earth just so he could get home to the Nine Realms? Was he a coward when they used magic to force his blue skin to the surface and used fire to burn him and bend him to their will?

No, Loki of Asgard was no coward.

Loki turned, staring at Thor, his brothers jovial demeanour dropped immediately when he saw the look in the tricksters eyes. Loki walked towards him and held his hand out for the book which Thor returned without protest.

“I am a great many things _brother_ ,” Loki spat the word at Thor, “but I am no _coward_.”

Loki turned and walked away from Thor, out towards the balcony to get some air, and Thor stood inside, wondering not for the first time just what had happened to Loki when he was gone.

Loki knew that everyone wondered. Everyone except Coulson that was.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“How can you expect him to know what not to say if you don't tell him what happened?”

Loki looked at Coulson as they both sat in his office in Tony's penthouse. Tony had been very accommodating to SHIELD now that Phil was in charge and not Fury. Tony had also been pissed but happy to find Coulson was alive, though much less happy to find out Loki was alive and had been recruited by SHIELD.

'Accidentally recruited', Coulson always corrected.

Out of all of the Avengers, Tony was less unhappy than expected though, given Loki had thrown him out of a window. Loki hadn't really understood why, not until he started sleeping with the mad mortal and realised that Tony Stark believed in second chances. He believed that showing up with Coulson was a sign that Loki could at least be partly trusted, that Coulson didn't put his trust with people that didn't deserve it. Which was true, Loki mused. Phil Coulson was a very good judge of character most of the time.

“I do not want to tell him,” Loki said after a few minutes contemplation. “He... I do not know what his reaction would be. Either anger at those who harmed me, which is pointless and futile, or he'd turn into a mother hen and try to _hug_ me.”

Coulson laughed. “God forbid he try to show affection to you, Loki, Prince of 'Keeping People at Arm's Length'.”

“All except for you, you might have noticed,” Loki said.

“Well, now that you're not trying to bisect my heart I think we get along quite well. And it's not just me that you've let in,” Coulson said.

“No?” Loki asked with a quirk of his brow.

“No,” Coulson said with a small smile. “As much as you try to keep everyone at a distance, as much as you piss people off to keep them at arm's length, there's always a part of you that lets them in, that craves a connection. Sure, you don't actively push me away, there's the odd comment or argument here or there but... mostly we're good. The rest of the Avengers though, them you try to push back, but you forget they're just as broken as you are and so they interest you.”

Loki scoffed. “They do not. They are mortal - well, mostly mortal - and weak and ' _good_ '.”

Coulson laughed again and Loki frowned looking at him curiously.

“Good? No Loki, they're not 'good'. Just because they're on the side of good doesn't make them good, well except for Thor. He's definitely good...”

“And the Good Captain,” Loki pointed out, “which is why he's the leader.”

“True,” Coulson said. “But the rest of them? They're good only because of circumstances. Tony could have easily gone in the opposite direction, Bruce did for a while, Natasha, you know her past, Clint's. All of them have some darkness, all of them are broken... and that interests you.”

“True,” Loki admitted. “Broken people are the most dangerous, we know we can survive terrible things and come out of it broken but sharper.”

“Yeah. How are your headaches doing?” Coulson asked, seemingly changing track.

“Much better,” Loki said with a small smile.

“Tony helping with them?”

“Yes he - _hey_.”

Coulson grinned. “That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Tony is helping... Not that he knows it, but he is. He thinks it's just sex.”

“Probably best. It _is_ safe, what you're doing, right? I don't want to have to arrest you for killing him.”

“The arc reactor in his chest makes it very safe, yes. I siphon off but a thimble of energy each time we are together. It is dangerous to some, but not everyone. He's in no danger, I would not lay with him if I thought he might be.”

“Good, well we -”

The Avengers' alarm went off and Loki sighed deeply, “We only got back six hours ago from the last mission...”

“The perils of being a smaller organisation I'm afraid,” Coulson said. “Come on, I'll buy you an ice cream after.”

“Fine,” Loki huffed a bit and stood. “But it better have sprinkles,” he added, walking with Coulson to go assemble the team.

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Several hours later_

“Two broken bones, a concussion, a concert hall blown to pieces, a school bus tipped over with _children inside_ and now we're all infected by some alien disease and confined here!”

Loki stared at Steve as he went on and on, everything was a little fuzzy around the edges. He thought maybe the explosion he'd been near had given him a bit of a concussion perhaps? No, things hadn't gone quite the way they'd been planned to, but he couldn't help that could he? So what if he didn't exactly follow Steve's orders? They were stupid orders. Oh yes, send the frost giant in to directly confront _three_ fire giants. Stellar idea Captain Rogers.

He'd never noticed just how blue Steve's eyes were. Wait... yes, definitely he was concussed.

He tried to figure out what had Steve so pissed. No one died, no one was seriously maimed, and one of those broken bones was his own so he didn't see how that was anything for Steve to complain about.

He found it sort of difficult to take either of them seriously as well, what with the blue spots covering both their faces. Wait, when did Coulson get here?

Maybe it was more than a _slight_ concussion.

“-everyone in danger. This, _this_ is what I get for giving you a second – no - _third_ chance-”

Was he _still_ going on? This was getting very boring.

“Oh, I get it,” Loki finally said after a good ten minutes of being shouted at. “This is all because of that time I killed Coulson, isn't it? I already told him I was sorry, he and I are friends now...”

Loki watched as Steve's face moved from 'mild irritation' to 'indignant rage'. It was sort of cute how easy he was to provoke. Steve began to move towards him, presumably to hit him? Loki wasn't sure, but before it could escalate another voice joined their tête-à-tête.

“Back off,” Natasha said as she walked to them. “It wasn't Loki's fault... this time.”

Loki wasn't sure how he felt about the qualifier, but he supposed he'd take what he could get from her.

“I fell from the roof and broke my arm, Tony got slammed into a building by Sutur giving him the concussion, Bruce is the one that tipped the school bus to get it out of the way of the falling masonry. Loki broke his own arm, saving Clint from the explosion in the concert hall that _he_ started by shooting an exploding arrow at the Fire Giant, after we explicitly told him not to do that. So lay off.”

Before Loki could thank her, she turned on him, “And don't thank me, facts are facts.”

“And the disease?” Steve asked.

“It's more of a _virus_ ,” Loki couldn't help but correct with a grin. 

“Funny how you're the only one not affected,” Steve said. Loki had to give credit where credit was due. Steve was getting much more suspicious of him as time went on, it was cute how he learned things.

“Not true,” Loki said, “myself, Tony and Dr Banner are unaffected. We can't really say why. It could be the serum protecting the good Doctor, but if it was that I'd think it'd have protected both of you. As for Tony, perhaps his suit protected him and maybe by being a Giant of sorts I have a genetic protection? Who can say? All I know is that I've seen it before and it takes a week to go away. Once the spots are all gone you're free to leave, and we're all stuck in case we're passive carriers.”

Steve glared at him but he moved on as Natasha remained by Loki's side. Once Coulson led Steve away she sat herself down across from him on one of the couches. “You really shouldn't goad him,” Natasha warned, “we need to spend a week here together and it's cramped already without you all throwing your egos and hurt feelings around.”

“He's cute when he's angry,” Loki said with a bit of a smile, “and I'm _bored_.”

“Go scare Fitz,” Natasha said.

“Coulson said he'd get Dr Banner to remodel Stark Tower with my person if I 'upset any of his team again'. It's a hobby of mine when we're at HQ and I'm bored.”

Natasha laughed. “He'll only remodel if he catches you,” she pointed out.

Loki grinned. “I think you're my second favourite Avenger,” Loki told her.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Who beats me?”

“Why don't you try and figure it out? After all, we're all stuck in here for a week until the virus runs it's course.”

Natasha smiled a little, “Hm, it might pass the time.” She stood, “I should probably go find out how Bruce and Stark are doing.”

“Why do you call him _Stark_?”

“You call him Stark,” Natasha pointed out.

“Yes, but I call most people here by their surname or title. I'm not on familiar grounds with anyone here yet. It has only been three months, but you've been working with them for a few years. You give everyone their first name in private except him.”

Natasha nodded a bit. “I don't want him to get too personal... He gets foolish ideas about sleeping with women who call him by his first name.”

Loki nodded a bit and internally smiled as she walked away to go check on Tony and Bruce. He knew there was no chance of Tony seducing her, Tony was all his.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony's head felt like there were lead balls flying around and every time he shifted position the world went a funny pink colour. Not that he hadn't experienced such visual events before (drugs were a staple of college life for a few months until he grew bored with their effects), but the colour couldn't be enjoyed because of the pain.

“Just kill me now,” he complained, pulling the pillow over his head.

“I am sorry, sir, but I do not believe that you mean that,” Jarvis told him.

Tony whimpered.

That was until a pair of cool hands began gently running over his back. He frowned and then slowly relaxed as the long fingers moved up to the nape of his neck, thumbs stroking slowly down over his spine and as the cool feeling seeped into his bones the pain in his head began to melt away.

He gave a quiet groan and a kiss was left on his shoulder. “Better?” a soft voice asked.

“Yeah,” he replied, opening his eyes and removing the pillow from over his head. Loki ran his hands now through his hair, the cooling sensation moving with him, soothing the odd colour the world had turned. 

“What is that you're doing?” Tony asked.

“A bit of magic,” Loki said. “Something mother taught me... Concussions are a very common side effect of battle, she made sure that I had all the skills I needed to be useful as a mage in any situation.”

Tony nodded, mind going blissfully blank as clever fingers worked out every ache and pain he was feeling. He almost felt like he was floating.

When Loki was done he lay beside Tony, turning him towards himself. He stroked Tony's cheek and moved forward, kissing him languidly. “You can pay me back tomorrow, Anthony,” Loki said softly.

Tony sighed softly against the god and he fell blissfully asleep.

As per usual when he woke, Loki was gone.

This time though, instead of there being no sign at all of Loki's presence the night before, on the bedside table on the side Loki usually used there was a note with a little bottle of liquid that was amber in colour. Tony slid over and read through a haze.

“ _When you wake you'll be bleary eyed and tired. Drink this remedy and have a shower, you'll feel a lot better. ~ L_ ”

Tony smiled a bit. Four months ago if Loki had left him an unlabelled bottle of _something_ he'd have assumed he was trying to poison him. Now he just uncapped the bottle and drank it down before going off to have his shower.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Since he was feeling better after his concussion, thanks to Loki, Tony set about making sure everyone had somewhere to sleep for the duration of the week to minimize the people sleeping on his leather couches. It was a big suite the Avengers had in Stark Tower, but it wasn't designed to have guests.

Natasha offered Simmons, Sky and Pepper a spot on her floor so that wasn't so bad. The girls had reportedly raided Tony's linen closet for blankets and extra pillows. His bar was missing a bottle of Grey Goose vodka and several glasses that had all reportedly disappeared into their room as well. 

Coulson was going to bunk with Clint for the week, it wasn't like it was the first time the two of them had shared a room.

Thor had offered for Loki to bunk with him, but Loki refused. They didn't _hate_ each other anymore and at times Tony could see some longing in Loki's eyes when he looked at Thor, but he never discussed it and did his best to keep Thor at arm's length. Tony figured it was his way of protecting himself. After all, keeping things and people at arm's length was what he did best.

“Sentiment is the best way to get yourself mortally wounded,” Loki told Thor once in one of their twice weekly heated arguments. “The moment you let someone see your heart, they will stab a knife in it.”

Thor looked frustrated with Loki when he refused the space in his room, but Tony knew Loki already had somewhere to be at night, not that it usually meant _sleeping_.

As Tony lay alone in bed on the morning of the third day of their quarantine, he pondered the night before. “ _Say my name_ ,” the god had demanded of him. As he looked at the wrecked sheets and felt the ache in his back he smiled a little. The sex with Loki was hands down the best sex he'd ever had with a guy and it came pretty close to the best _ever_ , but it was a little... surreal at times.

The first time it happened, Loki just showed up in his bed. All lips, muscle and sinew, stroking and tasting. It had been glorious, but the next day he was gone in the morning and acted like nothing had happened. It was such a convincing act Tony thought he was going mad, maybe he'd dreamed the whole thing. After it happened three times though, he realised Loki was fucking with him in more ways than one.

It was then he decided 'no more'. He did tell Loki that, but then the Asgardian bastard had some chocolate sauce and the thought went flying out the window as it was drizzled in unspeakable places with the god's beautiful tongue lapping it form his skin.

“You like being fucked don't you?” Loki liked to talk filth to him, especially while he was hilt deep in Tony. “Begging for release. You're gorgeous like this, crying for my cock to claim you.” Or there was Tony's favorite that always sent shivers up his spine.

“I am a god... get on your knees and worship me.”

Tony had worshiped that beautiful cock now on many occasions. Loki's long fingers always gripped his hair tightly but never _held_ him in place. They just gripped and tightened when Tony did something Loki really liked.

One of the best times was when Tony lubed up his fingers without Loki seeing from the little tub on the bed and began pushing in at his entrance while Loki's cock was in Tony's mouth. That time, Loki threw Tony down on the bed and they engaged in some good old fashioned 69 except Tony had his hole fucked by a dildo that Loki found in his closet instead of his fingers.

As he lay thinking about Loki and all the things they'd been up to over the past few months he grew hard again. He got up, walking to his en suite and put the shower on. If he was going to take care of the 'morning wood' situation, he was going to enjoy it.

As the hot water hit his back, he gave a soft moan as it helped the ache in his muscles release. He soaped up his hand, stroking himself, thumb moving over the head and he rocked his hips. He was still a bit sensitive from the night before, Loki had him come twice again, but he continued on, his free hand moving over his chest and down to his hip and then behind, stroking a bit experimentally over his own entrance.

He heard someone's breath catch and he turned his head to see Loki standing in the doorway of the en suite, watching him in rapture. 

Tony had never been caught masturbating before and it was odd how vulnerable it made him feel. For such a shameless man when it came to things of a sexual nature it felt a bit strange. 

“Don't stop on my account,” Loki said quietly.

Tony felt his cheeks flush, hoping it was masked by how red his skin was from the hot water, and he closed his eyes, continuing on with what he was doing. He could feel Loki's eyes on him, hear Loki moving forward. He heard clothes being shed and the glass door of the shower open. Loki stood behind him, fingers stroking down his sides.

Loki reached for the lube he knew Tony kept stashed beside his shampoo and soap and he coated Tony's fingers in it. Tony opened his eyes, looking back at Loki who was watching him, eyes dilated. He looked down, Loki was already hard, hard for _him_. He was the reason Loki was turned on and that spurred him on to push fingers into himself.

Loki gave a guttural groan and before Tony knew what was happening Loki was on his knees behind him. He removed Tony's hand from his entrance and Tony felt Loki's sharp slick tongue lave over his hole.

Tony's knees went weak, both his hands moved to brace himself against the wall as Loki's tongue worked him and his hand wrapped around his cock, stroking as Loki's tongue breached him.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, _oh_!” It built fast, it wasn't something he'd ever considered doing or asking to have done to him, so to have Loki – this gorgeous, arrogant bastard who saw himself above everything – literally licking his ass turned him on more than anything ever had.

As he came, he had the fleeting thought that Loki won, fine, it was the best sex he'd ever had.

Tony sunk to his knees with Loki's help, leaning back against the god as Loki reached up to turn the water off. Loki's hands ran circles on his stomach as he caught his breath. Fingers tracing up the line of his abdomen to his chest and the arc reactor. 

“My Anthony,” he said softly in Tony's ear, “so very beautiful when you're spent.” Loki's lips found Tony's shoulder and he kissed softly.

Tony finally moved to his knees, turning to face Loki. “Well this is new,” Tony said finally.

Loki quirked an eyebrow, “What is?”

“Sex in daylight hours,” Tony said.

“Oh, that... Well usually you're in your lab by now and I can sneak in to use your delightful shower. It has this really nice pulsing mode that eases the tension in my shoulders... but then you were in here making such a gorgeous scene and I just couldn't tear myself away.”

This was new as well, _conversation_ after sex.

“I'm glad you find me so irresistible,” Tony said with a roll of his eyes. 

Loki gave a soft sigh, “Well... yes that is a bit of a problem, Anthony. You are _quite_ irresistible. I thought to have you once and get you out of my system but here we are yet again...”

Tony was caught a little off guard with that, but he looked at Loki's chest and down his body to his hard cock. “Why do you call me 'Anthony'?”

“It is your name is it not?” Loki asked him with just a hint of confusion.

“Well... yeah, but no one calls me Anthony. It's always 'Tony'.” 

Loki shook his head. “'Tony' is such a common sounding name, and you are anything but common. I think 'Anthony' suits you better.”

Tony smiled a bit, it sounded like an honest answer. He couldn't take his eyes off that bastard's cock though. So he moved forward, dipping his head, taking Loki into his mouth.

Loki moaned, leaning his head back, hands stroking through Tony's wet hair. It wasn't long until Loki was coming, clearly the god wasn't in the mood to 'fuck around' that morning. He just wanted to get off and when he was done, after a moment to recover, he got up to his feet and Tony followed.

He hit the water back on and he smiled at Tony. “Well... I suppose I'll leave you to your shower.” He began to leave and Tony reached out, gently grabbing his wrist, “You could join me,” Tony said.

Loki considered it a moment and shook his head. “I think not,” he said and stepped from the shower, “I will see you at breakfast then.”

When he left, Tony sighed and got on with his shower, not sure how he felt about Loki's flying morning visit.

He supposed maybe it was progress? But progress to what?

~*~*~*~*~*

Loki liked to sleep with Tony beside him and wake a couple of hours later, just watching Tony sleep soundly beside him before he slipped away. Loki had never needed much in the way of sleep. He had trained his body over many years to only require a few hours every couple of days so it was easy to sleep only a little and just watch his lover rest. He found it to be very peaceful. 

The morning light had just made its appearance in the bedroom of the fourth day of their quarantine and Tony was laying on his back, hair an absolute mess, bruises blooming on his chest from their exploits the night before and a look of peace and contentment on his face.

Loki couldn't remember the last time he'd had a lover that he'd permitted to sleep beside him. Usually he was in, out and gone sleeping in his own bed. Every morning he stayed a little later, risked it a little longer, but then left before Tony woke, not wishing to grow too attached. With Tony, he allowed himself to sit there, to feel the morning sun on his skin and to bask in the trust that Tony showed him by sleeping so soundly in his presence. 

It hadn't been lost on Loki how much this foolish, beautiful mortal trusted him and how hard won the trust generally was. He'd heard Tony tell stories of his conquests and how he would skip out on them usually if they were 'run of the mill' one night stands. He called it his 'fuck and fly' technique, which was crude but very descriptive. 

He looked at Tony closely, the lines beginning to appear on his face, the health that radiated from him as he kept himself in good condition to try and ward off the inevitable effects of aging. Best not to get too attached to this mortal, he would only age and die within the blink of an eye, a drop in the ocean of Loki's long life.

That morning when Tony had asked him to join him for a shower, it was such a simple domestic act that he couldn't allow it. Couldn't allow himself to fall in love with Tony, couldn't allow himself to open himself up to the inevitable pain that would follow loving a mortal.

He'd been there once before, many centuries ago. He'd been gone thirty years from Asgard, been in love, had a family and then came back. He'd barely been missed, time was so different in each place. Things went by so fast on Earth, it was hard to remember it was the same place he'd visited as a boy and they'd barely discovered fire and the wheel.

He gave a soft sigh as he looked at the clock. It was 5:30, no doubt Tony would be up in about an hour, so it was time for Loki to leave.

He pulled on his clothes and reluctantly left the bedroom, quietly making his way downstairs. Before he got too far down the stairs though, he felt a pair of eyes on him and froze.

“I knew you were hiding something, brother,” Thor said, looking at Loki from the kitchen doorway. 

Loki set his jaw in a line, simply walking past Thor into the kitchen. 

“Will you not even speak to-”

Loki cut in, “How can you lower yourself to such an act? It is a depraved act worth nothing in the grand scheme of things. Same sex relationships do not go anywhere, they cannot produce children, they cannot offer a stable home. A home should be a man and woman joining together, so why do you insist on sleeping with men? You bring shame on yourself and the house of Odin.” Loki said the words, rhymed them off as he set the coffee to brew without looking at his brother. “Why should I speak to you about it when I know Odin's words will spew forth and-”

Loki stilled as Thor placed a hand over his own, stopping his actions.

“Brother...” Thor said, “Tony Stark is a good man. He is smart like my Jane, a bold warrior I am proud to fight beside. Why would being with such a man bring shame upon you or our house?”

It was so very far out of left field that Loki could find no words. His tongue had indeed turned to lead. He had been around the meade halls when Thor would berate men for being anything but straight, for men who slept with men were deemed lower than the low.

“But...” Loki frowned deeply, “you...”

“People change,” Thor said. “Spend enough time here Loki and you begin to see that your view of the world is perhaps a little narrower than you're rightly comfortable with. One day I will return to Asgard, one day I will be King, but my time here and on the other realms has shown me that I need to learn more before I take the crown.”

“I... you know brother, lately you've been surprising me,” Loki admitted.

Thor gave him a wry smile. “You have been surprising me too,” Thor told him. “Since you joined SHIELD and got out of my shadow you have changed. I thought it was just the friends you have found but... it seems love has had something to do with it.”

Loki flushed. “Love?” he asked and scoffed as he began to pour the coffee that was now brewed. “It – it is not _love_ , Thor, it's just sex. And these people mean little to me, they are mortal, what do I care for them?”

“Hm,” Thor said, pouring his own coffee. “It just seems to be a lot of trouble to go to...”

“What is?” Loki asked.

“Making up this sickness so that your comrades might have a week off. Things have been hectic of late, the X-Men and other members of SHIELD have had to pick things up for us, but we all feel rather well except for the itchy blue spots... A virus I have never heard of before.”

Loki would have gaped if he hadn't had such good self control. Of all the people in the house to figure out that the virus was fake, he never figured it would be Thor. And the fact that Thor had allowed it to continue when he was usually _so good_ and earnest and dying to throw his hammer at things again struck him dumb.

“Do not worry brother, your secret is safe.”

“Why?” Loki asked.

“Because honestly, we are all tired and the week off is good for everyone. And I was glad of having you stuck inside with us as well... I think you and I have been clearing the air slowly over the past few months. I hoped this week would help with that.”

Loki smiled a bit, contemplating his brother. It was true that they had both changed significantly over the past few years, neither of them were the same person that they had been when they went on their ill fated excursion to Jotunhiem.

Back then Loki had resented Thor, but now? Now he just... he found he missed his brother much more than he ever expected to. Their relationship would never be the same, it couldn't be, too much had passed, that particular bridge had been destroyed when the rainbow bridge shattered and he let go of Gungnar.

He let go of everything when he let go of that staff.

Perhaps it was time they built a new bridge? Perhaps they should put things aside and _choose_ to be brothers, knowing the full truth of each other.

Loki looked out at the couches and then back to Thor. “Do you want to go watch a movie?”

Thor smiled. “We'll cook breakfast first and _then_ we will watch a movie.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that day as everyone began to surface, the sight on the couch in the living room confused each of the residents of the tower in turn as people came into the main area of the Avengers suite to get breakfast.

Tony was the last to get up and he stood with Clint in the kitchen doorway, watching Thor and Loki sitting together on the couch, laughing, joking and bantering while watching a disaster movie marathon. 

Nobody was sure what happened, and when Tony asked Jarvis, he told them that the brothers had a conversation that morning to clear the air and had decided to watch disaster movies and eat breakfast. 

Once everyone was over the shock of the sight, they joined them at the couch for the breakfast buffet the brothers had made and listened to them talk of stories and adventures they had been on. 

It had been a nice change in Tony's opinion, it was nice not to be walking on eggshells whenever the two brothers were in close proximity to each other. It was good to see Loki _smile_ , genuinely smile as he and Thor talked. Tony had seen that rare smile before while in bed with the god, but it was nice to see it outside the bedroom as well.

Later that night, Tony found himself in his lab working on his latest suit. He anticipated that Loki and Thor would be occupied talking and making up for lost time, so he didn't expect a 'booty call' that evening. Around midnight, however, Loki walked in.

Tony looked at him and smiled. “Hey,” he said, standing up, wiping his hands off on a rag.

“I went to find you in your bedroom, but you weren't there,” Loki said. “So Jarvis directed me here.”

“Yeah, I wasn't really tired and it's been a few days since I did any work on this new suit. I was kind of hoping to get it done soon.”

“Are you having a problem with it?” Loki asked, inspecting it.

“A bit. I can store a few minutes of oxygen inside it, but I was hoping to store more. I want it to be space flight worthy. I know it won't be able to break atmosphere, but if the Chitauri came back or I needed to get into space for something, this would work quite nicely... Once I get enough oxygen.”

Tony watched as Loki's face went from general curiosity to a more eager interest. “Well, there are devices around the universe that contain a large amount of oxygen in a small space. A mix of magic and technology should be able to give you oxygen without being bulky.” Loki was closer now, Tony could smell him. The bastard always smelled so good, no perfume or artificial smell was ever around him except directly after he showered, he just smelled naturally amazing.

“I can't use magic... and I'm not entirely convinced it exists,” Tony said dubiously.

“I assure you that it does,” Loki said with a grin as he looked at Tony curiously. “I could teach you some I think, you have the right sort of mind for it.”

“What kind of mind is that?”

“A chaotic yet organised mind,” Loki said.

“That's... I have an organised chaotic mind?”

“Yes,” Loki said. “It's that cognitive dissonance that gives spark to magic. Mages are, by their very nature, a bit odd because they're brilliant. They tend to be shunned because they see the universe so very differently. Let me help you with your newest suit and show you a bit of magic.”

Tony smiled a bit and, looking at the eagerness in Loki's eyes, he agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been a very different all night affair that kept Loki and Tony awake, but it was just as enjoyable as their usual fare, even if it was for different reasons. Loki had disappeared for a few minutes to grab some books from who knows where and he began showing Tony the runes that could be crafted to create oxygen.

“It wouldn't be an indefinite supply, the runes can only work for about an hour, but I can't see that you'd want to be out there any longer. It would be inadvisable.”

They worked and theorised on the suit, Loki applying the runes to it that he needed to keep it stable in space and to apply the oxygen. Tony was fascinated by the magic as Loki worked it, deep in concentration. Tony could feel the energy in the air as the mage worked and was forced to admit that perhaps magic did exist after-all.

Loki for his part was in rapture as Tony worked on the welding needed for the suit, and as dawn broke, the suit was complete, ready for testing at a later date. Tony grinned at Loki and Loki grinned back.

It had been invigorating working on the suit together, but now they were both exhausted having been up the whole night and without a word. Loki took Tony's hand and led him upstairs.

Being so exhausted, both men fell into bed and lazily kissed while stroking each others cocks. It wasn't athletic, it wasn't kinky, but damn did it feel good just to jerk each other off while making out.

Loki used magic to clean them off, pulling Tony towards him to snuggle. As Tony found his sleep, Loki remained awake, his heart beating hard and fast in his chest as he contemplated his greatest fear made real.

He had fallen in love again with a mortal.

This wouldn't do, this wouldn't do at all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony slowly woke to the unfamiliar sensation of behind held, soft breaths ghosting across his neck from a bed partner that was usually long gone by now. He remained still, unwilling to move and possibly dispel the illusion that Loki had stayed, but as lips trailed up his shoulder he smiled and opened his eyes at the early morning light.

“Good morning,” Loki said softly and kissed Tony on the lips and Tony kissed him back.

“Morning,” Tony replied and smiled as Loki pushed him onto his back so they could kiss properly. The god moved, straddling Tony's hips and Tony could feel he was sporting morning wood just as he was. “Well _hello_ ,” Tony said with a grin and Loki smiled. 

They kissed once more, Loki rocking on top of Tony, Tony expecting to be fucked into the mattress as per usual, but instead the god set a tub of lube beside them and leaned down, kissing along Tony's jaw before whispering. “I want you to claim me,” he said and nipped Tony's ear.

Tony moaned softly, his hands moving to grip Loki's arse. He'd fantasized about fucking Loki, this hadn't been one of those fantasies, but as a beginning it would do. And as he looked up at Loki's eyes he knew this was deeper than just a fuck, this was trust. Loki _trusted_ him.

Tony had asked once if he could fuck Loki, only once and Loki had said 'Until you have my full trust, Anthony, I'm afraid that won't happen. You see I have had one or two very unpleasant experiences and I am not in a rush to repeat them.'

Tony needed to make sure Loki enjoyed it.

He took advantage of Loki's distraction as he stroked his cock and he rolled so Loki was on his back. He thought they'd start with something familiar and Loki began to relax as Tony's mouth claimed him, his hands running over Loki's hips, fingernails scratching just a little the way the god liked.

His hands moved down, fingers moved to his balls and behind, stroking and caressing sensitive skin, making sure Loki was fully relaxed as fingers moved to stroke at his entrance covered in lube.

Eventually Tony managed to get Loki onto his front and pulled him up onto his knees as he pushed a single finger into him. He leaned down, kissing Loki's hip as he pushed in, causing the god to moan, which sent a spark right down to his own cock.

“ _Anthony_ ,” Loki moaned out his name and Tony didn't think his full name could ever sound so hot, but it was fucking sexy as hell with Loki on his knees bent over before him, moaning it desperately as a second finger breached him.

Tony was patient, he didn't want to rush and then not be allowed to fuck Loki again. As much as he enjoyed being the bottom he'd like to top from time to time. He sort of missed fucking and not just being fucked, and who knows? Maybe Loki was actually a switch and it'd be more even, if only Tony got this first time right?

He pushed a third finger into the god and Loki pushed back against him with a groan. “More,” he breathed.

Tony moved to him, using his free hand to slick up his own cock. He removed his fingers, pushing his cock against Loki's entrance. Tony looked at his lover, the beads of sweat on his back, and slowly he pushed forward eliciting a long low groan from Loki until he was fully seated.

“Fuck,” both of them swore at once and Loki's skin reddened.

“Anthony...” he said, talking seeming as though it was taking far too much effort. “I won't... it won't be long...”

“I know,” Tony agreed, “me neither...”

And then he began to move.

He started slowly at first, but Loki told him to go harder, faster, until they had set a somewhat punishing rhythm. Tony gripping both of his hips as he took him hard and fast like had been requested as Loki stroked his own cock.

Tony came first, and settled against Loki's back as he caught his breath and the god continued stroking himself. Tony reached his hand around and began stroking for him, causing him to whimper. He felt Loki holding back, he knew he was on the cusp but he could sense the tension, that he couldn't let go.

Tony pushed his fingers into Loki's now very slick hole and kissed his shoulder, words coming unbidden from his mouth.

“Come for me Loki, I love you, come for me.”

The god gasped and he came hard over Tony's hand, his hole spasming around Tony's fingers. It wasn't until they were both lying on the bed in a heap that Tony realised what he'd said, and wondered if Loki had registered it in the state he was in.

“Loki...” he said uncertainly, but Loki looked at him and leaned in to kiss him softly. He pulled back, looking at Tony and Tony realised that Loki loved him too. That this act, letting someone take him, was something Loki did only with those he loved and trusted. This was his way of telling him.

Tony stroked his cheek and sighed softly.

What a mess they'd made.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After the quarantine had ended, things quietened down for the Avengers enough that some of them could go back to their day jobs and Loki knew he and a couple of the other Avengers wouldn't be missed.

“So... that is your plan?” Thor asked him after Loki had laid out his brilliant plan to his brother.

“Yes,” Loki said.

“It's crazy, Loki,” Thor reminded him, like he _needed_ reminding. Most of his plans were crazy, but they worked more often than not, and Thor was one to talk.

“No more crazy than taking the Aether to Svartalfhiem,” Loki defended.

“Hm,” Thor conceded.

“Of course you could just sit back here and let her age and die, that's also an option. Because if you don't assist me, and I am successful, I'm not helping her.”

Thor got a sour look on his face and sighed. “Fine,” he said, “we will go to Knowhere and track down the infinity gem we need.”

“Good,” Loki said with a smile.

“We'll need a ship,” Thor warned.

“Oh that's fine. I know a green skinned warrior who owes me a favour, and I hear she has access to a ship these days.”

“What do we tell the others?” Thor asked.

“That we go to defend the universe. Which is true, it just also suits our ends.”

They discussed the rest of their plan, and when they were done Loki walked out to the Avengers' balcony looking over New York.

Jane and Tony were mortals, he and Thor were not. He had a plan, a crazy plan, but a plan that would render them both essentially immortal without the need for Idunn's apples.

As the sun rose and the dawn light broke against Loki's skin, he smiled. No longer did he stand in the shadows of his father and brother. He made his own path. 

It was time to embrace the day.


End file.
